Thread positioner for weft replenishing looms



R. G. TURNER Dec. :24,

THREAD .POSITIONER F OR 'WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Filed 001;. 9,, I939 lNvzrq-ro a Run-MR6 Gfl'un NER AT TORNEY Patented Dec. 24, 1940 UNITED PATENT OFFICE THREAD POSITIONER FOR WEFT REPLENISfHING LQOMS Richard G.- Turner, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass; a corporation of Massachusetts Application Octob er'9, 1939, Serial No. 298,545 7 Claims. (011139460) This invention relates to improvementsin thread positioners for the cutting mechanism of weft replenishing looms and it is the g'eneralobject of the invention to providemeans Which'insure the placement of the thread in the path of cutting mechanism on weft replenishing beats of the loom.

In weft replenishing mechanisms of theftype illustrated for instance in my-copending 'appli cation Serial No. 190,637 the shuttleis provided with a metallic plate adjacent thedelivery eye and the cutter blade is controlled'to move toward the plate on replenishing beats of the loom. The thread will ordinarily extend across the'pl'ate'to lie in the path of the thread cutter, butif the weft unwinds too freely sufiicientslaclc"will de velop to permit the thread to fall below the shuttle plate where it is out of reach of the cutting mechanism. y v

In the aforesaid co-pendin'g application there is shown a pneumatic thread extractor tc'b'e located between the mouth of the shuttle box and the adjacent selvage and this extractor may be supplied with a thread guard of the type {shown inco-pending application Serial No. 278,306 filed by Darwin. The thread guard in the latter application descends to a position immediatelyover the thread and holds the latter inlow position on the lay on transferring beats of the loom, Also, in my prior patent, No. 2,162,290, there is shown a transfer revoking mechanism including a shuttle feeler arm which is projected rearwardly preparatory to 'transfer over a portion of the lay to detect the longitudinal position of the shuttle along the lay. 'I'his'detector arm lies be tween the thread extractor'and the shuttle" box mouth and ordinarily lies over the thread exte'nd ing from the thread to the selvage on transferring beats of the loom. 1 a

It is a further object of my present invention to provide means for raising that-portion of the thread between the thread extractor guard and the'shuttle position: detector arm'for the pur- :pose of drawing the thread taut and causing it to extend from the delivery eyeof the shuttle across the cutting plate. I hav'e found that one of the parts only which overhang'the thread will'suffice to tighten the latter sufficiently for correct cutting, but inasmuch as the loom to which this invention more particularly I relates employs both a thread extractor and a shuttle feeler arm I find it convenient to place the thread lifting mechanism'between these two parts. It-'is" to be understood that the thread guard'and. shuttle feeler arm normally occupypositions oiit Oi the pathof theshuttle and are moved to the positions previously described over the thread" when there is to be a replenishing operation of the loom.

' The carrier for the shuttle feeler armcomprises a'lever which is turned rearwardly preparatory to transfer andit is another object of my present inventionto make use of this rearward motion of the carrier leverto assist in raising a portion of the thread in the manner already described. It is a further object ofmy'invention to mount the thread lifter on th'elay so that the same moves toward the carrier lever as the latter is moving rearwardly, the motion of the thread lifter resulting from the "combined motions in opposite 'directions of the carrier and lay to effect a quick upward pull onthe thread." T With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in'the combination and arrangement of parts'hereinafter described and set forth. In the accompanying drawing, wherein a"con-' venient embodiment of my invention is set forth:

' Fig.1 is a plan view of aloom having my'invention appliedthereto,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation in the'direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1, j

Fig. 3 is a Vertical section on line 33'of Fig. 1 showingthe parts in two different positions, and Fig; 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the changed relation of the thread with respect to plate due to the operation of my in- I the cutting vention.

Referring to the drawing, loom frame 10; lay Hand shuttle race 12 may be of the usual c011 struction. "I'he shuttle S has a delivery'eye D and a metallic cutting plate P inserted in the front wall thereof at one side of the delivery eye as set forth'in my priorPatent No; 2,172,336.

TheplateP cooperates with a cutting blade l4 mounted on the rear of a cutter arm I 5 operating as'set forth in my co-pendi ng application Serial No. 190,637 and is normally in forward non-opcrating position but is'projected rearwardly when a transfer is to occur to strike the plateP of the advancing shuttle. The weft thread W ordinarily lies across the'cutting zone of the plate along which the blade l4 acts to cut the thread of the outgoing bobbin B, the accompanying transfer unthreading the shuttle and leaving a length of weft thread extending from the cutter to the adjacent selvage. Fig. 4 the weft thread may assume the low position designated at I infull lines-below the plate P, out of the cutting zone, Whereas the proper As shown diagrammatically in V position for cutting is that designated at II in dotted lines with the weft extending across the plate P in the cutting zone. My present invention is for the purpose of causing the thread to assume position II in Fig. 4.

The loom frame carries a bracket 20 on which is pivoted at 2| a shuttle feeler carrier 22 normally held forward or to the right, see Fig. 3, by its own weight and having a depending finger 23 in engagement with an adjustable stop screw 24 on the bracket 23. A lifter rod 25 is raised preparatory to transfer in a manner similar to that described in the aforesaid Patent No. 2,162,- 290, the lever rocking from the front full line position to the rear dotted line position in Fig. 3 when the rod 25 is raised preparatory to a transfer.

The upper end of carrier lever 22 has secured thereto a rearward projecting shuttle position detector or feeler arm 21 normally in a forward position but which is projected rearwardly to overhang a portion of the lay and lie above the weft thread W as indicated in the dotted lines of Fig. 3 when the carrier moves rearwardly. It is thought sufficient for present purposes to state that when a transfer is about to take place arm 21 is moved rearwardly to a position over the weft thread. For a further description of the carrier and parts associated with it reference may be had to Patent No; 2,162,290.

In the previously mentioned co-pending application Serial No. 190,637 there is shown a vertical tube 3!] connected to a pneumatic system not shown for removing that part of the thread extending from the selvage to the thread cutter. Tube 3|] carries a thread guard or web 3| which may be constructed as in the Darwin application mentioned. The guard together with the tube is lowered preparatory to transfer and holds the weft thread against upward displacement. The lay may be provided with a mass of deformable material 32, such as pile fabric, located below the shuttle path in a transverse slot 33 in the lay and into which the guard projects to hold the weft thread down.

The guard will ordinarily be located between the adjacent selvage of the cloth and the shuttle feeler arm 21, although this relationship is not essential to the operation of my invention. It is thought sufficient for present purposes to state that the guard will be moved down to a position either in engagement with or spaced slightly above weft thread W when there is to be a transferring operation of the loom.

The parts thus far described may be as set forth in the disclosures already mentioned to which reference may be had for further description of structure and operation.

In carrying my present invention into effect I provide means for tightening the weft thread so that it will assume a dotted line position II of Fig. 4 and the embodiment of the invention which I illustrate includes a pivoted wire carried by the lay and positioned by part of the mechanism already described. Accordingly, a bracket .3 is bolted to the front of the lay at 4| and has a forwardly extending arm 42 carrying a stud 43. Rotatably mounted on the stud is the hub 44 of a depending arm 45 provided with a laterally extending pin 46 which liesbehind a portion of the carrier 22. Secured to the hub as by a screw 41 is a rearwardly extending pin or wire 48 located between the detector arm 21 and the guard 3| and normally in the slot 33 below the path of the shuttle and weft thread W.

A collar 50 is held in angularly adjusted position on stud '43 by a set screw 5| which holds one end 52 of a torsion spring 53 the other end of which is attached to the arm 45. The effect of the spring is to turn the hub 44 and arm 45 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3 so that the pin 48 will lie in the slot 33 as already described. A stop 55 on the bracket 40 lies in front of the arm 45 and limits the motion of the latter in a counter-clockwise direction, thereby relieving the pin 48 of any strain which would tend to bend it. The pin or wire 48 is of Such length that its rear end lies close to the reed line R.

In operation, the carrier 22 will normally be forward and the tube 30 will be raised, while the arm 45 and wire 48 will occupy the full line position shown in Fig. 3 during the normal reciprocation of the lay. Under these conditions the operating pin 46 will not strike the carrier 22 and the Wire 48 will therefore remain in the slot 33. When a replenishing operation is to occur the carrier 22 will move rearwardly to the dotted line position of Fig. 3 under action of rod 25 which is raised for the purpose. This rearward motion of the carrier occurs while the lay is in a relatively rearward position and is advancing toward front center. On this beat of the loom the shuttle S is travelling toward the position shown in Fig. 1 and will normally be boxed properly for transfer before the lay moves it far enough forwardly to strike the feeler arm 21. As the lay advances the weft thread W will pass under the rear part of arm 21. If the shuttle is not properly positioned it will engage the feeler arm 21 and move the latter together with the carrier back to the normal forward full line position of Fig. 3, thereby preventing transfer through connections not shown herein but set forth in my prior Patent No. 2,162,290. If the shuttle is properly boxed, transfer ensues and a resetter rod on the lay returns the carrier 22 to normal forward position as the lay approaches front center.

With the parts positioned for transfer the advancing lay will cause pin 46' to strike the carrier 22, after which continued forward motion of the lay will cause turning of'arm 45 about the stud 43 in a clockwise direction, see Fig. 3. Pin 46 becomes the temporary pivotfor arm 45 and the latter rocks from the full to the dotted line position of Fig. 3 as the lay approaches and finally reaches its front positon. The resulting rocking of arm 45 raises the pin or wire 48 from its low position to the high position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The pin 48 starts upwardly from a position under the weft thread and therefore raises the latter.

At or about this time the tube 33 is lowered to place guard 3| over the thread,- and as wire 48 moves upwardly itcooperates with feeler arm 21 and the guard 3| to produce an upward bend in the weft thread. The left end of the thread as viewed in Fig. 1 is attached to the selvage, but the right end is relatively slack and is drawn to the left under the shuttle feeler 21 as the pin 48 rises. This tightening of the weft thread lifts the same from the low full line position I to the high dotted line position II of Fig. 4 where the thread is in the cutting zone and properly placed for cutting.

It is to be understood that the cutter I4 is timed to sever the thread during the latter part of the forward beat of the lay after the pin. has operated as just described to place the thread for cutting. If it be desired to place the thread under additional tension during" cutting to assist the latter the parts can be set to maintain engagement between pin 46 and carrier 22 for a short time after the cutting operation begins. I do not wish, however, to be limited'in the practice of my invention to a timing of the parts Which willefiect tensioning of the thread after the same has been engaged by the cutter blade I 4. In fact, resetter 60 can be adjusted to strike carrier 22 at that point in' the advance of the lay when the cutter blade I 4 strikes; plate P, thereby relieving any further tension on the weft.

As the lay reaches front centerposition the carrier is returned to its forward position by resetting rod 60 onthelay, and the pin 48 is re-- turned to slot 33 by spring 5 3 before the freshly replenished shuttle is picked-to the opposite end of the loom during the next rearward stroke ofthelay. 11

From the foregoing it will be seen thatI have provided a simple means for placing tension on the weft thread effective tolift it to proper cutting position. It will also be seen that I make use of two existing parts of the loom to assist in this operation, these parts being the shuttle feeler arm 21 and the thread guard 3|. It is to be understood, however, the bending of the thread by raising the pin 48 need not necessarily be dependent upon thepresence of parts 21 and 3| and they are to be considered merely as convenient means for causing the bend in the thread, so far as certain features of my invention are concerned. It will be apparent that a rising of the wire 48 will cause a bending in the thread if but one of the parts 21 or 3| be present and I am therefore not limited to the use of both of them. It will also be seen the carrier 22 which moves rearwardly to operate the wire 48 also pushes the shuttle feeler arm 21 over the thread to a position where it can assist in bending the latter. It will further be understood that the parts described may be so timed that the wire 48 can continue to rise after cutter blade l4 has engaged plate Pto place the thread under a slight tension which will assist the cutting operation. The subjection of the thread to tension after the cutting operation begins however is not essential and may be omitted by causing the resetting pin 60 to move the carrier 22 forwardly in such timed relation with the operation of the thread cutter as will avoid additional tension of the weft thread.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a thread placer for a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a shuttle from the delivery. eye of which a thread extends toward the adjacent selvage, provision being made in the loom for cutting the thread in a given zone between the delivery eye and the adjacent selvage on transferring beats of the loom, that improvement which comprises 'means located between said zone and the selvage to lie over the lay and thread on replenishing beats of the loom, an element normally located below the thread and at one side of the means, and mechanism operative on a replenishing beat of the loomto raise the element to a position above the level of engagement between the thread and the means to produce a bend in the thread and thereby tighten "2. .In a thread placer for a .weft replenishing loom having a lay and a shuttle thereon from the delivery eye of which a threadextends across a cuttingplateon the shuttle to the-adjacent selvage, the loom having a member located be?- tween said zone'aind the selvage'which ismoved to aposition' adjacent to the lay and over the thread on replenishing beats of the loom and having aIso-a-cuttingmember to cooperate with the -plate along the given zone of the latter on replenishing beats of the loom to cut-the thread, that improvement which comprises an element normally llocatedat one side of the 'member'and un'der'the weft thread, and means to-raise'the element on a weft replenishingbeat of the 100111 to aposition above the level of engagement be.- tween the' weft thread and the member topro duce a bend in the thread and thereby tension the latter to draw the .1 same into the aforesaid zone w I i ll' 3. 'In a'thread placer for a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a shuttle thereon from the delivery eye of which a thread extends across a cutting plate on the shuttle to the adjacent selvage, the loom having a pair of members located between the cutting plate and the selvage to lie over the lay and thread on weft replenishing beats of the loom and having also a. cutter to cooperate with the shuttle plate along a given zone of .the latter to sever the thread, that improvement which comprises an element normally under the-thread, and means to ,raise the element at a. point between said members toproduce a bend in the thread to draw the latter around one of said members and tighten the thread to draw the same into the aforesaid zone on replenishing beats of the loom.

4. In a thread placer for a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a shuttle thereon from the delivery eye of which a thread extends across a cutting plate on the shuttle to the adjacent selvage, the loom having a pair of members located between the cutting plate and the selvage to lie over the lay and thread on weft replenishing beats of the loom and having also a cutter to cooperate with the shuttle plate along a given zone of the latter to sever the thread, that improvement comprising a pin normally located in a position between said members and below the thread, and means operative on a replenishing beat of the loom to raise said pin to a position above those parts of the members which engage the thread to produce a bend in the latter and thereby tighten the thread to draw the same into the aforesaid zone.

5. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a shuttle from the delivery eye of which a thread extends to the adjacent selvage, the loom having a shuttle position detector movable rearwardly to place a part thereof over the lay and thread when in shuttle position detecting position on weft replenishing beats of the loom, the loom also having a thread cutter operating in a given zone between the delivery eye and the adjacent selvage to sever the thread on replenishing beats of the loom, that improvement which comprises an element normally under the thread and carried by and movable with respect to the lay and located normally under the thread at one side of the said part, an operating arm moving with the element and moved by the lay on the forward motion thereof against the shuttle position de- I tector when the latter moves rearwardly to shuttie detecting position, the forward motion of the lay and the rearward motion of the shuttle position detector cooperating to move the operating arm relatively to the lay in a direction to raise the element to a position above the level of engagement between the thread and the aforesaid part of the shuttle position detector to produce a bend in the thread and tighten the latter to draw the same into the aforesaid given zone of action of the thread cutter. I

6. In a thread placer for a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a shuttle thereon from the delivery eye of which a thread extends across a cutting plate on the shuttle to the adjacent selvage, and the loom'having a cutting member to cooperate with the plate along a given zone of said plate on replenishing beats of the loom to out the thread, that improvement comprising a member located between said zone and the selva'ge; means to move the member to a position adjacent the lay and over the thread on replenishing beats of the loom, and means adjacent to the member and between the latter and the selvage to lift a portion of the thread to a position above the level of contact between the thread and said member to produce a bend in the thread totighten the latter and draw the same into said zone.

7. In a thread placer for a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a shuttle thereon from the delivery eye of which a thread extends across a cutting plate on the shuttle to the adjacent selvage, the loom having a cutter to cooperate with the shuttle plate along a given zone of the latter to sever the thread, that improvement which comprises a pair of members located between the cutting plate and the selvage to lie over the lay and thread on weft replenishing beats of the loom to limit upward motion of the thread, and means to lift that portion of the thread between said pair of members to draw the thread around one of said members and tension the thread to move the same into the aforesaid zone.

RICHARD G. TURNER. 

